Before the Storm
by ohainsley
Summary: All human.
1. Chapter 1

Bella

It was her father's idea to send her away to boarding school. After her mother died, Charlie couldn't handle raising a teenage daughter alone. Especially not a teenage daughter like _her_. Bella Swan's flight from Phoenix into Seattle had landed on time, but the car her father was supposed to have arranged for her hadn't shown up. She had waited for over an hour before giving up and flagging a taxi, and she now sat nervously in the back seat of the cab as it pulled up to the gates of what was to be her new home. She paid the driver and climbed out of the cab, pulling her cardigan tighter around her thin body. Her eyes widened apprehensively as she surveyed the large buildings and floods of students around her. They all seemed to scream "old money", designer clothes and perfectly maintained looks. She gave a self-deprecating look down at her own outfit – cardigan and jeans bought at Ross. Handbag from Target. How on earth was she ever going to fit in?

Half an hour later, Bella was settled in her new room. She had a single room, much to her relief. Having to share a room and still be able to hide her secrets would be nearly impossible. She finished unpacking her meager belongings, then turned her attention to the full-length mirror that stood near her window. She frowned at her reflection, pinched at various parts of her stomach that she hated. "Fatty fatty fatty," she taunted herself. A shout outside her window drew her attention away from her mirror. She pulled the curtain aside and gazed down into the courtyard below. Her eyes immediately fell on a group of three students standing in the corner. The girl was clearly flirting with the larger guy, flipping her blonde hair and patting his chest as he made attempts to tickle her. The other guy, slightly smaller than the first, was standing with his hands in his pockets, watching the couple flirt and begin to make out. Bella pressed her forehead against the window, lost in thought as she watched them. Suddenly the smaller guy turned his head and looked up at her. Her breath caught in her throat as their eyes met. He was gorgeous; definitely more attractive than any other guy she'd seen before. They held each other's gaze for about a minute longer, and then he looked away, back at his friends. She saw him say something to them, and motion up at her window. She stepped back quickly, letting the curtain close, hoping to not be seen by the other two.

Edward

Edward Cullen was in love. He followed her across the campus and into the dining hall, watching the way her hips swayed as she walked. He loved her, but could never have her. She belonged to his best friend. He watched enviously as Emmett put his arm around her shoulder and leaned down to kiss her. Rosalie. Even her name drove Edward crazy. He wanted to touch her, kiss her... He took a seat next to Emmett, remaining silent as Emmett and Rosalie continued to be all over each other.

Dinner was almost over when he saw the girl from the window. She walked into the dining hall, passing by the food line and sitting down at an empty table in the corner. He watched her curiously as she pulled a book and an apple out from her purse. She set the apple down on the table, opened her book, and began to read. He turned his attention back to Emmett and Rosalie.

"Guys, have you seen the new girl?"

"New girl?" Emmett immediately looked around the room. "Where? Is she hot?"

Rosalie shot Emmett a harsh look, and then reached for one of Edward's fries.

"Over there." Edward nodded towards the corner table. "Sitting by herself."

They all looked at her. She sat, oblivious, reading her book. The apple still sat untouched on the table in front of her.

"Well, anyway," Rosalie snapped, getting Emmett's attention again. "Things are still good on the party front, right?"

"Of course." Emmett put his arm around her. "Jasper's got the key to get into the old gym."

The old gym, a building on the far side of the campus, was completely surrounded by trees and hidden in shadows. It was creepy, but the ideal place to have parties without risking being caught by school administration. Edward's group of friends had been using it was their "party house" since their sophomore year, when a newer gymnasium was built in a more centralized location.

Edward finished his meal and stood up. "I'll meet you guys over there. I need to...uh…do something first." He didn't, but he couldn't handle being around Rosalie much longer. Not while Emmett was all over her. He hurried out of the dining hall, oblivious to the girl in the corner as she put her book away and followed him out, leaving her apple uneaten on the table.


	2. Chapter 2

Edward

The party had been in full swing for well over an hour. Edward had spent most of the time standing by the door, watching his friends have a good time. He couldn't put his finger on the cause, but something was depressing the hell out of him. Maybe it was the way Emmett had gloated about how sexy Rosalie looked in her green dress. Or maybe it was the fact that he hadn't had a cigarette in hours. He took one last glance at Rosalie, who was across the room dancing with Emmett, and headed outside.

He'd just lit up a cigarette when the girl from the cafeteria approached him, appearing from the bushes that hid the gym from the rest of the campus.

"Mind if I bum one off of you?"

He shook his head, handing her the pack.

"Help yourself."

She smiled appreciatively. She had a great smile, one that made him unable to not smile back in return.

"Need a lighter?"

"Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks."

He took another drag of his cigarette, watching as she lit hers. She was really delicate, he noticed. Every movement she made was tiny and precise. She smiled at him again.  
"I'm Bella."  
"Edward."

"Nice to meet you, Edward." She took a drag and flicked the ash off the end of her cigarette.

He nodded and glanced back towards the party, wondering if he should head back inside. Would Rosalie still be draped all over Emmett? He hoped not. A few minutes passed, both of them smoking and lost in their own thoughts.  
"So, Edward, what do you guys do for fun around here?"

"Hmm?" That girl was still talking to him. What was her name again? Gabriella or something like that. He was sure it ended with a "la" sound, anyway. "Look, Camilla, I have to go." He threw his cigarette butt onto the ground and without looking back walked away. The only thing on his mind was finding Rosalie and, if Emmett got too drunk or was off flirting with another girl, maybe having one dance with her.

Bella

She watched him go, feeling the awful sensation of tears prickling behind her eyes.  
"It's Bella…" she called after him, her voice trailing off. There was no point. He was too far away to hear her, and even if he had been closer, she knew he wouldn't have cared about her correction.  
She bent down and put out her cigarette. "Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry." She repeated it like a mantra, her eyes clenched shut.

"Hey, new girl. Talking to yourself isn't going to make you many friends around here."  
"What?" Her eyes flew open. Standing in front of her was a guy who looked to be about her age. His blonde hair was messy, like he hadn't brushed it yet that day.

"You're new, right?"  
"Yeah…"  
"Great. We could use some excitement around here." He swung his arm over her shoulders and began walking. "I'm Jasper."  
"Bella."

"Right, Bella." He led her towards the gym entrance. "How do you feel about smoking?"

"I just finished a cigarette outside…I'm not really in the mood for chain smoking tonight."

Jasper laughed. "That's not the kind of smoking I'm talking about."

"Oh. Um. Yeah, I've done that plenty of times."

"Good. You'll fit in just fine here then."

The second they entered the gym, another boy hurried over to them.

"We're meeting on the football field in five minutes," he whispered to Jasper, then turned to look at Bella. "And this is?"

"Mike, this is Bella. Bella, Mike."

"Nice to meet you," he said, turning back to Jasper. "I have to go find Jessica and Tyler. I'll see you out there."

He ran off, and Jasper started back towards the door. He was halfway there before he seemed to realize that Bella wasn't with him. He turned back to her, calling her name. She looked up, and he waved her over.

"Come on!"

She was surprised, then smiled and hurried to follow him out the door.

They were the last two to arrive at the football field. Bella was pleased to see Edward sitting on the grass beside the pretty blonde girl who had been with him in the courtyard earlier that day. Jasper quickly introduced Bella to the rest of the group. She tried to smile and act interested in what everyone was saying to her, but all she could focus on was the look on Edward's face as he stared at the blonde girl, who was too busy flirting with Emmett to notice his gaze. Bella took a seat beside Edward, hoping she wasn't being too obvious about her infatuation with him. She needn't have bothered worrying; he barely seemed to notice her presence.

Emmett detached himself from Rosalie and pulled out a small bag. He passed around a few blunts before lighting one up for himself. Alice, Emmett's younger sister, distributed pills to those who wanted them. Bella slipped one into her mouth, swallowing it quickly. She lay back in the grass, closing her eyes and enjoying the feeling of the breeze moving the blades gently against her skin. She wasn't sure how long she had been lying there, but when she lifted her head, everyone else had disappeared. She sat up, panicked, and breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted Mike and Tyler sitting several feet away. She stood up, suddenly desperate to pee. She stumbled into the cluster of trees and bushes that lined the edge of the field, praying that she would make it to a secluded spot in time. After relieving herself, she began to make her way back. She was halfway there when she heard a soft moan. Curious, she walked towards the sound, only to discover Emmett and Rosalie hooking up. Hurrying away before they noticed her, she almost tripped over Edward, who was sitting leaning against a tree, looking dejected.

"Are you okay?"

"Huh?" He looked up at her, squinting his eyes. 'Oh. Yeah, I'm alright I guess."

Bella didn't believe him, but didn't want to press him to confide in her if he didn't want to. She sat down beside him, allowing her leg to touch his from the hips all the way down. He looked sideways at her, as if suddenly aware of her femininity.

"Do you want to go somewhere?"  
"Yeah. Okay." Her heart was racing in anticipation.

They stood up and he took her hand. She followed him deeper into the trees, only aware of the feel of her hand in his. They walked in silence for what seemed like forever, but in reality Bella knew it had to only be ten minutes at most. They finally reached a small clearing in the trees, and Edward lay down in the middle of the grass, staring up at the sky. Bella lay down beside him. They remained silent for a while, before Edward finally spoke.

"I come here sometimes when I want to get away from everyone. It's nice to just be able to relax and think, maybe do some star gazing."

Bella nodded, unsure of what to say and anxious for Edward's touch again. She imagined those hands, those gloriously smooth and soft hands, touching her all over. Unable to resist any longer, she leaned over and kissed him softly. His eyes widened for a second, as though surprised by her abrupt boldness, and then he smiled. He closed his eyes, pulling her closer to him, kissing her harder. She slid one leg over his, suddenly aware of how long it had been since she had done anything beyond kissing with someone. He froze, pulling away from her. She rolled over onto her back, closing her eyes tightly to fight back the hot tears of embarrassment that threatened to fall. She heard Edward cough, and then begin to speak. He didn't mention what had just happened, going into an explanation of the constellations above them. She finally opened her eyes and followed the movement of his hand as he pointed them out. After a while she began to feel less embarrassed and started to ask him questions. They lay there for hours, never running out of something to say to each other. As the sky began to lighten, Edward slipped his hand into hers once more. They both fell silent. Bella didn't dare try to kiss him again, and he made no move towards her.

Edward

He had been surprised when Bella had kissed him. He'd noticed the way she had been looking at him all night, any idiot could see she liked him, but he hadn't particularly cared. He was far too wrapped up in his own miseries. True, she was a pretty girl, but in no way did she even begin to compare to Rosalie. His heart panged as he thought of her. And so, when Bella had kissed him, he'd closed his eyes and imagining Rosalie's face as he pulled her closer. He had kissed her desperately, pretending it was him who had Rosalie pressed up against a tree, trying to erase the sight of his best friend on top of the girl he loved. But it was no use, and so he'd pulled away when he felt Bella sliding her leg over his. He had felt bad, so he began to talk about the first thing he could think of, hoping to distract her from what had just happened between them. As the hours passed he began to feel a slight sense of affection towards her, and he took her hand in his. Their conversation ceased, and Edward slipped his free hand into his pocket, pulling out an empty cigarette pack. Cursing, he let go of Bella's hand and sat up.

"Let's go back. I need to smoke and I'm out."

They made their way back through the woods, Edward oblivious to the downcast look on Bella's face once she realized that he had no intention of holding her hand again.

Edward woke up shortly after one, having fallen asleep as soon as he'd gotten back to his dorm. He pulled a hat on to hide his messy hair and hurried to the cafeteria, hoping to at least catch the end of lunch. His friends were sitting at their usual table, Bella sitting beside the empty spot that had clearly been left for him. Sighing, he went through the lunch line as quickly as he could before making his way over to the table. He sat down and made eye contact with Emmett, who smirked and motioned his head towards Bella, whom Edward noticed was too busy talking and laughing to eat the large pile of food on her tray. Emmett leaned forward and spoke in a low voice.

"So, is she good?"

"Good?" Edward frowned, confused.

"You know, did she spit or swallow?"

"You're disgusting," Edward glanced nervously at Rosalie, hoping she hadn't heard, but she was far too wrapped up in Bella's story to even notice his presence.

Emmett laughed, following Edward's gaze. He slipped his arm around Rosalie's waist, pulling her onto his lap. Emmett started making out with Rosalie, all the while keeping his eyes on Edward.

"Could you two not do that while we're trying to eat?" Jessica rolled her eyes. Mike and Tyler voiced their agreement, and Rosalie slid off of Emmett's lap with a giggle.

"Well, I guess we're off then." Emmett stood up. "Edward, you don't mind disposing of our trash, do you?"

Without waiting for an answer, Emmett walked quickly out of the cafeteria with Rosalie close on his heels.

"I'll get that for you," Bella grabbed the trays, putting them on top of her own still full tray.

"Aren't you going to – " Edward's question was cut off by the arrival of a small dark-haired girl who seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Bella, this is Emmett's sister, Alice."

"Hi, sorry, I've got to run. It was nice to meet you." Bella spoke quickly as she stood up. She grabbed the pile of trays and hurried out the door, dumping the leftovers into the bin and placing the trays on the table by the door on her way out.

Edward frowned at the door as it swung shut, then turned his attention to the rest of the group. Jessica and Alice were making plans to go dress shopping after classes the following day, so he turned to Mike and Tyler, who seemed to be in a heated argument over something. Both were speaking in hushed voices, Mike clearly saying something that Tyler didn't like. Edward sighed and stood up. No one so much as glanced at him, and he stormed out of the cafeteria. He locked himself into his dorm room and spent the rest of the day doing homework assignments and playing games online. He briefly considered going to dinner, but dismissed that thought. Sitting through another Emmett and Rosalie make-out session was the last thing he wanted to do. He went to bed early, and pretended to be asleep when Emmett finally stumbled into the room and passed out drunk on his own bed.


	3. Chapter 3

Bella

The first week of classes flew by for Bella. It became a blur of trying to catch up on schoolwork, as well as make sure her social life continued to be busy. She had to keep herself busy. Busy meant she wouldn't have as much time to think about food, or about why her father had given up on her and sent her to a school thousands of miles away from home.

The group she had met on her first night at school had, despite being a tight-knit crowd, accepted her immediately. Jessica and Rosalie made a point to include Bella in all of their activities that didn't involve the guys. Alice occasionally joined them, but only when Rosalie begged her to. Bella couldn't figure the younger girl out; she rarely spoke, and one would assume she was shy, but there was a subtle aura of confidence about her. The first time Bella had made eye contact with her, she'd been slightly shocked by the cunning look in Alice's eyes. The girl didn't talk much, but she was by no means a pushover. She knew what she wanted and how to get it, and Bella got the feeling that she didn't really care who she hurt in the process.

As much as Bella enjoyed hanging out with girls who didn't know her history and who didn't judge her for what had happened in the past, all she really looked forward to was the time after lights out, when the group would sneak out of their respective dorms and meet in the woods. They would drink and get high, sometimes take a few pills. Not a night went by where Emmett and Rosalie would excuse themselves from the group, disappear into the trees, and reappear a little while later, their clothes rumpled and a smug look on Emmett's face. Bella wondered if Rosalie knew about Lauren, the girl in Bella and Emmett's history class, who she'd seen slip into an empty classroom with Emmett at least a few times that week. Bella didn't want to be the one to tell Rosalie. Who knew how the girl would react? Considering how desperate she was for Emmett's affection, Bella knew it was highly likely that Rosalie would rather blame Bella for telling her than blame Emmett for being the one cheating on her. And so Bella remained silent. But there was another reason for not exposing Emmett's cheating; when Rosalie was around, Edward barely noticed Bella. And Bella didn't want to risk losing the short amount of time every night, after Emmett and Rosalie had gone, when Edward would finally pay attention to her. They never did more than talk; it seemed whatever desire Edward had to kiss her had disappeared after that first night, and no matter how subtly seductive Bella tried to be, he was oblivious to her desire. Bella was growing increasingly frustrated. She'd never had an issue with guys not wanting her. True, she'd never been in love, but she'd had plenty of guys who had been more than willing to love her for one night. She wondered why Edward was so different from those other guys. He didn't seem to want her, but worse than that, Bella found herself unable to get him out of her mind. Her obsessive-compulsive tendencies didn't help. Finally, on Thursday night, when everyone else had gone off to either hook up or do whatever else they did out in the woods, she worked up the nerve to bring their conversation beyond just small talk.

"Edward," she took a deep breath, "I was wondering if you'd want to do something with me tomorrow night?"

"Oh. Um, okay." He nodded. "What do you want to do?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't had a chance to go into town yet…maybe we could find something to do there?"

"Okay. Meet me at the gates at seven?"

"Great!" Her voice was far too excited, and he gave her a funny look, but didn't say anything.

She felt unable to sit still, both overjoyed and nervous for her date with Edward.

"I gotta go." She got up and was hurrying back towards the dorms before Edward had a chance to respond, her mind already going through possible outfit choices.

Edward

She looked lovely. He watched her walk down the driveway towards him, her slim hips swaying slightly, and he couldn't keep the grin off of his face. He wondered where she'd gotten the dress she was wearing. It seemed tailor made for her, clinging in all the right places, drawing attention to her best features.

"Edward," she began to hurry towards him. "Oh Edward, I'm so glad to see you!"

It was only as she got closer that he noticed the tears that were streaming down her cheeks.

"What's wrong?" He took a few quick strides and closed the distance between them. "Rosalie, what happened?"

"My dog died." She sobbed. "I just got off the phone with my mother. I tried to find Emmett but he seems to have disappeared. I haven't seen anyone else, and I really need someone right now."

"Shh." He wrapped his arms around her, hoping it would give her even the slightest bit of comfort. "I'm here."

"Thank God for that." Rosalie sniffed a few times, then looked up at him. "Can we go somewhere? I just want to get away from here."

"Yeah, of course."

He kept an arm around her waist as they walked, offering her his support. They went back to the dorm room that he shared with Emmett, in case he suddenly showed up. They were halfway through a bottle of wine before Rosalie spoke again.

"You look nice." She eyed his outfit.

It was only then that Edward remembered his plans with Bella. He felt guilty for a moment, and then shrugged it off. Bella would understand, he reasoned. She'd have to, once he explained it to her.

"Thanks."

He hated the fact that he was blushing. He wasn't the sort of person who blushed, with the exception of when he was around Rosalie. He looked up at her, the redness in his cheeks fading as he noticed the way she was looking at him. He'd seen that look before, but never aimed at him. Except…now it was.

"I know you like me, you know." She said it softly, in a way that made it seem as though she couldn't understand why he would.

"Oh." Edward felt himself beginning to blush again. "Look, Rose, it's just a stupid crush. It doesn't really –"

His sentence was cut off by her lips pressed against his. He was too shocked to respond at first, but then began kissing her back. He knew he shouldn't, but it was as though they'd opened Pandora's box, and now it was too late to stop what was happening. Her hands were running through his hair, and his hands…well, his hands were everywhere. He was greedy for her, touching and kissing every part of her body that he could. His penis was hard as hell, and he desperately wanted her to touch it, or ride it, or to just do _something_ to it. He didn't dare ask, though, and hoped that if he took things a little further she would reciprocate.

His hand was trembling slightly as it slipped under the waistband of her panties. She was smooth and perfect, and the way she bit her lower lip as his fingers entered her drove him crazy. He had almost brought her to an orgasm when they heard Emmett's voice in the hallway. Edward leaped away from Rosalie, wiping his fingers on the inside of his shirt. He sat down quickly at his computer and pretended to be engrossed in it, while Rosalie picked up a book and began to read.

Emmett entered the room, and immediately flashed his cocky grin at Rosalie, who leaped up to kiss him.

"Hey Rose. Sorry you had to be stuck in here with Edward. I hope he didn't bore you too much with his nerd talk."

Edward knew Emmett was only joking; they were best friends, after all, but he still hated the way Emmett would always put him down in front of Rosalie. But not this time, he realized, smiling to himself. This time, Edward had proof that Rosalie didn't just consider him her boyfriend's geeky friend. She wouldn't make out with a geek, would she? He didn't think so, but as he heard her giggle, he began to have doubts.

"I'm going to the library." He excused himself as he left the room. He needn't have bothered, though, as both Emmett and Rosalie had completely forgotten he was in the room. They were already on Emmett's bed, half dressed. Edward sighed and slammed the door a little harder than he should have. He heard the photo frame that hung on the wall near the door fall and shatter. _Good_, he thought. _I hope it fell onto Emmett's head and wiped that stupid smile off of his face_. Edward shook his head, immediately feeling guilty for thinking about his best friend that way. For all of Emmett's faults, he'd always had Edward's back when Edward needed him the most. It wasn't fair for Edward to hate him just because of Rosalie, and knowing that he'd betrayed his friend made Edward feel absolutely lousy. He decided to forgo the library, and headed for the nurse's office instead. He'd fake feeling ill, and hopefully she'd give him something to knock him out for the night. He didn't mind sleeping on the uncomfortable cot for one night. Anything was better than having to face Emmett again that night.

Bella

She'd seen it happen as if in slow motion. Edward was standing there; looking so handsome she could barely breathe. Her heart was racing in anticipation for their date. He hadn't noticed her yet, and she wondered what his face would be like once he caught site of her. She'd ditched her afternoon classes, spending the hours trying on outfit after outfit, hairstyle after hairstyle, until she found the right combination. She was almost close enough to call out to him now. She opened her mouth, but before the words could form, Rosalie appeared in front of her as if from nowhere. Edward looked up, and that gorgeous smile Bella loved so much appeared, which caused her own smile to spread further. But then it was all wrong. Rosalie was running into Edward's arms. Edward was looking down at her, oblivious to anything else, oblivious to Bella standing a few feet away, her entire body stiffening. She shut her eyes tightly, praying that when she opened them, she'd see that she'd only imagined Rosalie. Edward would be there, looking at her the way he was looking at Rosalie. She counted to five, then counted to five again a few more times, and then she slowly opened her eyes. Rosalie was gone, but so was Edward. Bella's eyes rose towards the boys' dorm, and she caught site of their retreating figures entering the building.

And then she ran. She ran out the gate and down the long driveway. She ran across the busy street, ignoring the honking cars that swerved to avoid hitting her. She ran until she crashed into a fire hydrant, and only then did she stop. She doubled over in pain; it had been a long time since she'd last run, and the stitch in her side was unbearable. She tried to take a few deep breaths to steady herself, but that proved fruitless as the tears began. She found a bench near by and sat down, holding her head in her hands and hating herself for being so weak.

"Bella? Are you okay?"

Jasper and Jessica were standing in front of her, concerned looks on their faces. She shook her head slowly, dissolving into tears again. Jessica immediately sat down beside her and began rubbing her back.

"Jasper, go get her some coffee or something."

He nodded and hurried off.

"Jess, I don't know what to do." Bella gulped between sobs. "I don't even know why I care so much. There's just something about him that makes me crazy."

"Edward?" Jessica asked softly, then frowned as Bella nodded. "What happened to make you so upset?"

Bella wiped her eyes, feeling foolish.

"I asked him out last night, and he said yes. I spent so long getting ready, trying to make myself lovely for him, but then Rosalie was at the gate where we were going to meet up, and he was looking at her the way I wish he'd look at me…and then they were going into the boy's dorm, and…" her voice trailed off, and she burst into tears once more.

"Oh Bella. I've known Edward for a long time; he's pretty oblivious sometimes, and I know he isn't used to girls liking him."

"How can he not be used to girls liking him? He's perfect."

Jessica gave her a small smile.

"You may be able to see what a great guy he is, but most other girls are too busy trying to get Emmett's attention to notice him."

Jasper came back carrying three cups of steaming coffee on a tray. He handed one to Bella, and she gave him a grateful look. He sat down on the bench beside Jessica.

"Are you feeling better now?" He looked concerned.

"Not really, but I'll be okay."

"We're always here if you need someone to talk to," Jessica told her as Jasper nodded his agreement.

"Thanks guys." She gave them a small smile.

"Now come on." Jasper stood up and grabbed her hand, pulling her up off the bench. "Jess and I are going to a movie. Come with us?"

Bella grinned, nodding.

The three of them spent the rest of the evening together, laughing and talking about the movie. Bella was happy and grateful to them for including her in what was obviously meant to be a date. And later that night, when the group met up in the woods, Jessica made it a point to keep Bella too busy talking to focus on Edward.


	4. Chapter 4

Edward

Edward woke up at eight on Saturday morning to his phone buzzing, alerting him that he had a new message. He felt ill; he'd begun to drink heavily the night before, trying to keep Rosalie and what had happened between them out of his mind. He sat up in bed, his head throbbing, and he reached for his phone. Squinting at the bright screen, he saw that he'd gotten a text from Jessica, asking him to meet her in the band room as soon as he could. Emmett was still fast asleep in his bed as Edward hurried out the door five minutes later, another thing to be jealous of Emmett for, he mused gloomily. It was freezing outside, and he wished he'd thought to wear a sweater.

Jessica was waiting for him, holding two cups of coffee. Edward took the one she held out for him, smiling gratefully. She didn't return his smile, and he frowned.

"What's up, Jess?"

"Edward, you're one of my best friends, and you know I'd do anything for you, right?"

"Of course." He nodded.

"So please don't take it the wrong way," she continued, "when I say that I am so completely pissed off at you."

"What the hell did I do to you?"

"Not me, you jackass. You broke Bella's heart."

"What?!" He laughed. "Stop joking around. Why are you really mad at me?"

"I'm serious, Edward. Jasper and I found her in town last night, sitting on a bench and crying her eyes out because SOMEONE blew her off to hang out with another girl. Oh stop looking so shocked," she snapped at him. "That girl has been infatuated with you since day one and we all know it."

"I…I didn't know."  
"Of course you didn't. You don't notice anyone besides Rosalie."

"It's that obvious, huh?"

Jessica nodded, then her face softened.

"Look, Edward, I just really think that you need to forget about Rose. You're wasting all your time wanting a girl who will never want you back, and ignoring the girl who does want you." Jessica patted his hand as she stood up. "I'm not telling you to rush out and date Bella, but don't blow her off. Get to know her. You might just like what you find."

Edward sat there long after Jessica had left, mulling over what she'd said. As much as it hurt him, he knew that she was right about Rosalie. She didn't want him. She'd made that clear last night, deliberately ignoring Edward and being all over Emmett, more so than usual. Bella hadn't talked to him either, but he'd been too upset over Rosalie to even notice her.

And now he felt like a complete fool. He hadn't realized how much it had meant to Bella to hang out with him alone, and he was shocked that she had been sitting on a bench, sobbing, just because he'd blown her off. It felt weird to him, having a girl who cared whether or not he was around. The more he thought about it, the guiltier her felt. He didn't want to hurt Bella, and he hated the fact that she was out there somewhere feeling sad because of him. He knew that he couldn't give her what she wanted, but he could offer her friendship. He would fine her, apologize to her, and they could start over. At lunchtime he bounded up the steps to the cafeteria, a goofy smile on his face. But Bella didn't show up for breakfast, or any other meal that day. No one had seen or heard from her, and she wasn't responding to any of his texts or phone calls. He went to bed feeling unsatisfied and hoping desperately that he'd see her between classes the next day.

Bella

She hated herself. Staring into the mirror, she didn't see a single feature that she liked. She could usually get over those feelings pretty quickly, but this time they were eating her up, knowing that Edward obviously didn't see anything worth liking either. She'd put her phone on silent once she'd gotten back to her dorm on Friday night, and it had died sometime during the weekend. She didn't bother to charge it, not seeing a need to since she didn't want to talk to anyone. She ignored the incessant knocking on her door all weekend, hoping that if she remained quiet in her room, her friends wouldn't know she was in there. She skipped her classes on Monday and Tuesday as well, sending emails to her teachers saying that she had come down with the flu. Thankfully they had all believed her, none of them requiring her to get the nurse's signature as proof. She didn't go to the cafeteria for meals, choosing instead to drink copious amounts of water and live off of the few snack bars her father had insisted she bring with her to school. They were mostly stale by now, but she didn't care much. She didn't particularly like eating, anyway, so lack of food for a few days certainly didn't upset her. She cried a lot for the first few days. She was absolutely heartbroken over Edward, and that made her feel foolish. She didn't understand why he was so different from all those other guys she'd known. She had never cared much about anyone before, but she hadn't been able to get him out of her head ever since that first time she'd seen him, standing out in the courtyard while she looked down from her window.

She remained in her room for days, popping pills and living in a haze that helped her to not feel her broken heart as strongly. She finally emerged from her hiding place on Wednesday, walking nervously into the cafeteria. Almost immediately her friends surrounded her, all of them asking with concern where she had been. She lied, telling them that she had gone home to visit her dad. They seemed to buy it, but she could tell Jasper didn't believe her. He didn't call her out on her lie, though, and she was grateful for that.

They were almost done with breakfast when Edward showed up. His face lit up when he saw Bella, but she still wasn't ready to be around him, and she slipped out of the cafeteria while he was in line getting his food.

Edward

He knew she was avoiding him. It was now Friday, two whole days after he'd spotted her in the cafeteria, and he had yet to have a conversation with her. She came to breakfast and dinner, although she only ate a small amount each time, like an apple for breakfast and maybe only half of what was on her plate at dinner. She always made sure to sit at the opposite end of the table from him, which drove him crazy because he couldn't exactly yell out an apology to her across the table. And she skipped lunches altogether. The only times he saw her were late at night when their group would sneak out, but she seemed to still be avoiding him, talking and laughing with everyone else while carefully keeping her eyes averted from wherever he was.

He ditched his calculus class after lunch and went to find her. He knew that she had a free period then, and he figured it would be the best time to talk to her, without having to worry about anyone else showing up. He searched everywhere trying to find her, even going so far as to sneak into the nurse's room to see if she was laying down in there. When it became apparent that she wasn't there, he gave up searching. Class would soon be over, and then Edward was supposed to be in art, finishing a painting. He decided to blow that off as well. Not being able to find Bella made him feel lousy, and he wanted to be alone, getting high, and forget about her for a while. He'd been feeling guilty all week, and he was sick of it. He checked to make sure he had a blunt in his pocket before heading off to his secret spot in the woods.

He saw her the second he entered the clearing. She was lying in the middle of the field, facing the opposite direction. She hadn't seen him yet. He wasn't sure if he should cough to alert her of his presence, but he ended up just walking towards her. She didn't turn her head to acknowledge his presence as he sat down beside her, but there was a small smile that played across her lips. He took that as a good sign, and took a deep breath before speaking.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"I'm sorry, Bella."

"For what?" she propped herself up on her elbows.

"For not considering your feelings on Friday. For not realizing how much it meant to you. I hate that you've been avoiding me. I've been waiting to talk to you all week."

"Edward, it doesn't matter."

He frowned at her.

"It does matter. I was a jerk and I feel awful for treating you that way."

She turned her head and looked at him.

"Yeah, you were a jerk. But like I said, it doesn't matter anymore."

"It does matter! I want to be your friend. I really do think you're great, Bella. I can't like you the way you like me, but that doesn't mean we can't start over and get to know each other better, does it?"

She was silent at first, and he was afraid that he'd somehow upset her further.

"Okay." Her voice was soft.

"Okay?"

"We can be friends." She turned and gave him a wide smile. He smiled back with relief.

"So, Bella." He reached into his pocket, his fingers locating the blunt he'd hidden in it. He lit it up and inhaled. "As the first act of our new friendship, how about you help me finish this off?"

She smiled mischievously, grabbing it out of his hand.

"I'd be delighted to."


End file.
